Building construction



Dec. 13, 1938. s. F. NIELSEN El AL 2,139,907

BUILDING CONTSTRUCTION Filed March 26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I n w vArm/66m.

Dec. 13, 1938. s. F. NIELSEN El AL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 26,1937 2 SheetsSheet 2 A Trot/Sf Y Patented Dec. 13, 1938 REISSUED SEP 23194i UNITED STATES BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Sverre F. Nielsen, San Diego,and Fred Bostad, Los Angcles, Calif.

Application March 26, 1937, SerialNo. 133,212

\ Claims.

Our invention relates generally to improvements in building structuresand more specifically to walls, floor and roof construction and themethod'of assembling, erecting and connecting the same into a rigid andpermanent building; and its objects are to dispense with the use ofremovable temporary forms into which concrete or other cementitiousmaterial is required to be poured; to provide prefabriacted units forbuilding with a system of assemblage created by the construction uponthe ground of cementitous tie beams and columns capable of supportingand sustaining the completed structure; to assure a more speedyconstruction of building and less employment of labor than hasheretofore been possible; to effect a greater saving in the cost ofmaterials and building construction; to simplify the erection ofbuildings and to render more efi'ective and serviceable the severalunits of construction after they have been permanently assembled. Otherobjects of our invention will appear as incorporated in other featuresmore fully illustrated in the drawings and more particularly hereinafterdescribed and set forth in the claims.

We are aware, in the present system of construction commonly'employed bybuilders, that three methods are used; first, the erection of blocks orunits, one on top of the other, with mortar and binding material betweeneach unit; second, the erection of a frame of steel, concrete or wood,to which are attached in well known ways various kinds of insulating andfinish materials; and third, the erection of a set of forms into whichreinforcing steel or mesh is introduced, and concrete or othercementitious material is poured or applied.

, Our invention introduces an entirely new sys- 40 tem as we erect theprefabricated finish and insulating wall in units first, and byarrangement of ribs in these units apply the connecting and stifieningframe, consisting of columns or studs and beams afterwards, by use ofcement gun concrete or similar method or material and application frpmone side without use of temporary forms for this application.

This procedure efiectuates a considerable saving in labor andtime atpoint-of erection, as the 50 units may be fabricated in a plant, andthen later erected and tied together in one operation of construction,making possible a saving of more than half the construction timenecessary under present methods. A rigid, fireproof, earthquake 55resistive'and vermin-proof structure is also obtained without the slowprocess of masonry construction or concrete pouring on the job.

The prefabricated units forming the wall may consist of reinforcedconcrete or other suitable materials, constructed with ribs to formspaces inclosed on two or more sides into which connections in form ofcolumns or studs and tie-beams may be applied without use of temporaryforms. By arrangement of ribs or clips in the wall units, floor andceiling joists may be supported on the u units before the columns andbeams are applied, and thereby efiectuate a rigid connectionfortransmittal of lateral forces through the beams, columns, and joists.

Prefabricated roof and fioor units may be used with joints so formed asto permit filling with cement mortar or other cementitious materials'Wires, clips or bolts may be arranged so as to permit connection ofunits to joists, as well as tying sections together into one solid unit.Attention is hereby directed to the drawings, in which similar numeralsof designation refer to similar parts throughout the several views, andin which,

Figure I is a perspective view partly in section, of a wall and cornerof our improved building construction, showing a number of the beamsand-columns already erected, and one of the erection frames insustaining position before the installation of the beams and columnsadjacent thereto;

Figure II is a typical vertical section of a one story wall and adjacentfioor and roof of our improved construction;

Figure-III is a typical vertical section through a window of suchconstruction, and

Figure IV is a typical horizontal section of our improved construction,showing a corner and jamb for a window or door opening.

Referring to the drawings, we preferably construct each prefabricatedwall unit I, with an elongated panel, and with vertical ribs 6 andhorizontal ribs 1a and lb, which ribs are for the purpose ofstrengthening such unit in handling and in erection and for providingnecessary backmg for the reception of columns l8 and tie-beams Na and[1b, which are made of concrete or other cementitious material.Preferably the vertical abutting edges of the units l are so shaped asto form, adjacent to said edges and between the ribs 6, a wedged shapedchannel 2| for the reception of one of the columns I8. Preferably eachof said wall units is, as shown, of full story height.

The horizontal ribs la and 1b, each located a 56 :edge.

lower ends of the vertical ribs 6, are preferably each provided with abevel surface 23. For the purpose of reinforcement of the beams Ila andNb we construct each of said ends of the vertical ribs 6 with horizontalbores or holes through which extend the metal bars or Wires 22. As

shown the said ends do not extend completely across the beams Na and Nb,but are embedded :herein, so that each beam is continuous in strucure.

In the case of windows or doors, unit lintels 4 are supplied in suchsizes as may be required, and where windows are contemplated the properdesired opening is secured by units S'designed to accompany the same andto conform thereto, the structure of both lintels 4 and units 5 beinggenerally the same as units I. To support the said lintels and properlyfinish the openings so provided for doors or windows, jambs 3 may besupplied.

The roof or fioor joists I6 may be of steel, concrete or other suitablematerial, and are supported upon the vertical ribs 6 until the tie beamsI1 and the columns I8 are applied and hardened. These beams and columnsmay be cement gun concrete or other suitable cementitious materialsapplied under pressure and without the use of temporary molds or forms.Roof or upper floor units l9 are preferably installed with jointsdirectly above one of the joists I6, only one of such joists being shownin Figure I, the remainder being shown removed for the sake ofclearness. Wires or clips may be supplied to permit attachment to thejoists as well as to the individual units, and the joints may be filledwith mortar or similar material, making a slab rigid enough for thetransmittal of horizontal forces.

Furring for the support of interior finish may be attached to the ribs 6by nails driven through said furring into nailing blocks 20 cast intosaid ribs at the time of manufacture.

In order to provide a means to facilitate the handling of units I and topermit the attachment of temporary erection hooks, we core each rib atdesirable places and intervals with holes 8. Such holes also permit theinsertion of dowels and reinforcing steel for the strengthening ofconnections and frame, and they may in suitable instances permit passageof conduits and piping. By the employment of a whaler angle I0, erectionhooks 9, inserted through holes or slots in said angle, are temporarilysecured to said holes 8 and serve to hold a number of the units I inplace while the columns I8 and beams Ila and I'll) are being installedand until they have become hardened. The Whaler angle I is so positionedasto present to the face of each of the ribs 6 a straight It is soarranged as to permit application of columns and beams in one operationwithout removing said angle, and is made adjustable by means of a clampII attached to a threaded bolt projecting through two sections ofmaterial in the erection or supporting frame I3, which bolt is securedin position by the nut I4 on the threaded end thereof.

The frame I3 may be of wood, metal or other suitable material, and ispreferably constructed with an upright I2, braces 25 and 26, and floorstrips 21 and 28 resting upon the floor slab 24 or adjacent thereto. Thestrip I forming part of the said frame I3 may be used, where more thanone frame is employed, to provide a support for temporary scafiolding,and if desired the frame short distance, respectively, from the upperandmay be secured to the floor 24 by any suitable vmeans.

In erecting and connecting the prefabricated units I in a buildingconstruction after the floor or floor slab 24 has been installed, wefirst place in proper position and at suitable spacing the removableerection frames I3 in such number as may be required, and temporarilyattach the same to the fioor in any suitable manner. At the same time weattach a Whaler angle ID to each frame, and align the straight edges ofsaid Whaler angles so as to present a straight support for the unitsalong each wall. Preferably starting at one corner and continuing aroundthe building, the units l are then placed in verti-position edge to edgeupon the end surface ofthe fioor slab 24 and secured thereto by dowellpins 29, so as to bear uniformly against the straight edges aforesaid,and the erection hooks 9 are afiixed to the units and the Whaler anglesI0 firmly secured thereto. Thereupon the roof joists I6 and the slabs I9are installed in the positions indicated in the drawings, the bars 22being inserted as shown. Concrete or other cementitious material is thenapplied by a cement gun in the well known manner to fill the channels 2|and channels adjacent to the bevel surfaces 22 to form the columns I8and tie-beams Ila. and Ill) constituting the connecting and stiffeningframe supporting-the general structure. After such material has becomehardened, the temporary frames I3 are removed, and the walls finished inany desired manner, such 'as the installation of damp proofing andinsulating materials against the erected wall, the attaching of furringstrips. As a result of such construction, an integral supporting frameofreinforced concrete or other cementitious material applied by a cementgun is provided, all parts of which frame are thoroughly bonded togetherand to the prefabricated wall units, with integral structuralconnections capable of transmitting and resisting all lateral andvertical forces to which the structure may be exposed. By the use of theword integral as used in this connection and in the appended claims, wedesire to be understood as indicating the definite structural bondbetween frame and units obtained by a pressure or gun application of theframe, as opposed to the pouring or running in place of a concrete framewhich upon hardening furnishes no structural connection between frameand units, and is only equivalent to an ordinary mortar joint so far asstructural strength is concerned.

Our invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not restrictive, the scope of our invention being indicated by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency aretherefore intended to be embraced therein.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A system of building construction consisting of full Wall height orstory height panels, having near their vertical edges vertical inwardlydirected ribs constructed to form vertical V shaped grooves between twoadjoining units, and having near the horizontal edges inwardly projectedribs which together with the roof or floor or second tier of panels formhorizontal channels.

2. A system of building construction consisting of full wall height orstory height panels,

having near their vertical edges vertical inwardly directed ribsconstructed to form vertical V shaped grooves between two adjoiningunits, and

having near the horizontal edges inwardly projected ribs which togetherwith the roof or floor or second tier of panels form horizontalchannels, and said vertical ribs extending 'past the intersectinghorizontal ribs to a point between said horizontal rib and thehorizontal edge of the unit, said extended part of the vertical ribhaving a hole cored through it horizontally,'permitting the placing ofcontinuous horizontal reinforcing bars in the horizontal channels formedbetween the horizontal ribs and the roof or floor or second tier ofpanels in such a manner that these bars engage all vertical ribs.

3. A system of building construction consisting of full wall height orstory height panels, having near their vertical edges vertical inwardlydirected ribs constructed to form vertical V shaped grooves between twoadjoining units, and having near the horizontal edges inwardly projectedribs which together with the roof or floor or second tier of panels formhorizontal channels, together with cementitious material filled into theabove mentioned V shaped vertical grooves and horizontal channels,thereby forming a continuous structural frame that is integrallyconnected to all units and thus welding all units together into acontinuous wall.

4. A- system of building construction consisting of full wall height orstory height panels, having near their vertical edges vertical inwardlydirected ribs constructed to form vertical V shaped grooves between twoadjoining units, and having near the horizontal edges inwardly projectedribs which together with the roof or floor or second tier of panels formhorizontal channels, and said vertical ribs extending past theintersecting horizontal ribs to a point between said horizontal ribs andthe horizontal edges of the panels, thereby providing a support for roofor floor joists at the top of the units and in the horizontal channelsformed between the upper horizontal rib and the underside of the roofslab, so that the ends of said roof or floor joists are projecting intoand are anchored in the structural frame that is applied in thehorizontal channels after erection of the joists.

5. A system of building construction, consisting of full wall height orstory height panels or units, near the vertical and horizontal edges ofwhich are located inwardly projected ribs, the outside face of which ison an angle with the edge of the panel; presenting after erection ofseveral units and roof joists and slabs, a wall surface with the ribsforming together with the roof and floor, continuous horizontal channelsat top and bottom. and vertical channels between the individual unitsterminating in the horizontal channels; all of said channels wideningtowards the inside face of the ribs, permitting projection of cement gunconcrete or similar other material and application into said channels,horizontally and perpendicular to the sides resulting in a frameconsisting of top and bottom tie beams and vertical columns or studs,integrally connecting and connected to the individual units.

6. A system of building construction, consisting of full wall height orstory height panels or units, near the vertical and horizontal edges ofwhich are located inwardly projected ribs which after erection ofseveral units and floor and roof slabs, form continuous horizontalchannels at the top and the bottom of the wall, and vertical channels orV grooves between the adjoining units; together with narrower posts, theone side of which are shaped to receive window or door frame and theother side shaped similar to the ordinary units, said posts terminatingat the top of the door or window openings, supporting a unit shapedsimilar to the ordinary units but of dimensions to fill in the openingabove the door or window, said unit having the same ribs as the ordinaryunits except for the bottom rib which is shaped to receive the window ordoor frame, and reinforced to support the roof load from above; andtogether with units shaped similar to the ordinary units but ofdimensions to fill in the opening between the posts and below thewindow, and the top rib shaped to receive the window, all the said unitsand ribs being so shaped as to provide horizontal channels at roof andfloor line or at the joint with a second tier of units, and providingvertical V grooves or channels at the edges of each unit; thereby makingpossible the complete erection of the building against a temporary framein one operation, and application of cementitious material horizontallyprojected into the channels and perpendicularly to the sides of saidchannel in one continuous operation after the complete structure iserected, and providing a structural frame consisting of top and bottomhorizontal tie beams and vertical columns or studs, integrallyconnecting and connected to the individual units.

7. In a system of building construction special posts extending from thefloor -or foundation to the underside of special panels over door,window or other openings, one side of the said post shaped to receivewindow sash or door frame, the opposite side to be sloping towards theinside in such manner that the post together with the.

adjoining panel shall form a vertical V shaped groove the open side ofwhich faces the inside of the building in such manner that cement gunconcrete or other pressure applied material can be projected into saidgroove horizontally and perpendicular to the sides of the groove andthereby resulting in an integral cormection be- 7 tween the post and theadjoining panel.

8. In a system of building construction special bulkhead panels or wallpanels extending from underside of window to floor, presenting along thetop edge an inwardly directed-rib the upper side of which is shaped toreceive window sash and form finished window sill, and presenting nearthe bottom edge an inwardly directed rib located some distance from theedge of the panel to present between said rib, the projecting part ofthe panel and the abutting floor a horizontal channel, and presentingalong the vertical edges an inwardly directed rib the one side of whichcontinues on an angle directly to the vertical edge of the panel, thusforming together with the adjoining panel a vertical V shaped groove,this V shaped groove and before mentioned horizontal channel with theopen side facing the inside of the building in such manner that cementgun concrete or other pressure applied material can be projected intosaid channels and grooves horizontally and perpendicular to the sides ofthe grooves and channels thereby resulting in an integral connectionbetween the adjoining panels and panel and floor.

9. A system of building construction consisting of wall panels extendingfull wall height or between wall opening and floor or roof, these panelspresenting along both vertical edges an i inwardly directed rib, the oneside of which con tinues on an angledirectly to the edge of the panelthus forming with the adjoining panels vertical V shaped grooves, andalso presenting along the horizontal edges an inwardly directed rib,which when adjacent to floor or roof is located some distance from theedge of the panel thereby forming together with the projecting part ofthe panel and the abutting floor or roof a horizontal channel, when saidhorizontal rib is adjacent to wall opening the rib is shaped to receivesash or door frame, the open side of above mentioned channels and Vshaped grooves to face inward towards the inside of the building in suchmanner that cement gun concrete or other pressure applied material canbe projected horizontally into the channels and grooves, andperpendicular to the sides of said channels and grooves therebyresulting in an integral connecing of a continuous structural frameconsisting of vertical studs evenly spaced and terminating bond beam atfloor and roof.

ing of wall panels so constructed that these can be erected againsttemporary frame work so that they form the complete finished exterior oia building and serve as supports for roof joists, and present on theinside face along all vertical joints and at roof and floor continuousgrooves and channels in such manner that these channels when filled withcement gun concrete or other pressure applied material at the same timeprovide a continuous structural frame for the building and an integralconnection between all the several parts of which the wall isconstructed,

thus resulting in a construction where no joint is weaker than the panelproper.

SVERRE F. NIELSEN. FRED BOSTAD.

10. A system of building construction consist-

